An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system is a system that provides voice output to one or more users and responds to voice input from one or more users. IVR systems can serve a variety of purposes. For example, IVR systems can enable users to use telephones to access their bank accounts. In another example, IVR systems enable users to use telephones to book flights.
To accomplish these purposes, an IVR system speaks a series of prompts to a user. In response to the prompts, the user speaks responses back to the IVR system. When the IVR system receives a response from the user, the IVR system performs one or more actions associated with the response. For example, the IVR system can tell the user how much money is in a bank account and then speak another prompt to the user.
Speech Grammar XML (GRXML) documents contain grammar rule elements. Each grammar rule element is an XML element that specifies responses and actions to be performed when the responses are received. For example, a grammar rule element can specify that “Thursday” is a response and specify how a particular variable is to be manipulated when the response “Thursday” is received. Many IVR systems use such GRXML documents to control which responses are valid and which actions to perform when users speak response to the responses.
In today's globalized economy, IVR systems need to be adapted for use by people who speak different languages. For example, an IVR system used by an airline may need to speak prompts and receive responses in English, French, and German. To adapt an IVR system for use by people who speak a given language, the GRXML document used by the IVR system has to be adapted to the given language. Because GRXML documents contain many nested XML elements, attributes, comments, and other data, GRXML documents can be difficult for untrained people to read. Because GRXML documents can be difficult for untrained people to read, the costs of adapting GRXML documents to various languages can be high.